


Werewolf

by degradedpsychotic, silvermane



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Clack, M/M, Medical Experiments, Werewolf, just a sweet puppers ;;, powerbottom cloud, really cute puppy zack ok, some offscreen noncon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-15 14:29:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5788849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/degradedpsychotic/pseuds/degradedpsychotic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvermane/pseuds/silvermane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud and Tifa have made it their personal mission to dismantle the underground laboratories in Midgar. A year ago, they rescued Zack Fair from one of these hellholes. But lately Cloud's found Zack to be distant, avoiding him...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Raw RP warning! Shifting POV, likely plenty of spelling and other mistakes.

The full moon is rising.

Tifa knows this, can _feel_ it. There’s a prickling in the air she never knew about before rescuing Zack, a tension, a thickness...a _miasma_. 

It stresses her out, each time, to know she’ll have to take him below, to the familiar support strut in the basement...to chain him to it, collared and shackled...to wait out the storm of his transformation.

It seems like with each cycle things become more tense, Zack’s fear of breaking free and injuring someone becoming her own fear. Spells, materia...she wants to try tranquilizers this round, to see if it helps him rest.

She feels so tense, wiping down the bar. To her right, Cloud sits, quietly reading while he waits for a client to bring their order and form. 

She wonders if he can feel it too.

He was the one that found Zack, shackled up in a cage in some godforsaken laboratory. He was the one that held Zack while Tifa carefully gave him sips of cool water, to help with his overheated state, with his dehydration…

And Zack had bonded with Cloud. And Tifa worries about that. 

She’s managed to keep the timing nearly perfect. Cloud heads out for deliveries, Marlene is with Barret. The only one left in the bar for the next three days...will be her and Zack. Only her, to hear those haunted sobs and screams and _howls_. Only her, to bear witness to pure agony of soul. 

She tries to convince Zack to rest for the week prior, though it never works. Restless, agitated, she often finds his room a mess from _fussing_. He moves his bed around, moves the furniture…

Cloud does seem a bit restless though. He might not be tuned into the looks Zack gives him when he thinks Cloud isn’t looking, but...he’s not _hopeless_. His response, however, has been to try to give Zack _space_ , to give him more freedom.

Cloud worries about smothering. He worries about what was done to Zack in that laboratory. He worries that putting him in a far too hot room, letting him dehydrate nearly to death was part of some perverse _training_. 

But Cloud doesn’t know how to offer what Zack needs. 

And Tifa wonders if Cloud even knows what Zack needs.

\---------

He's pacing his room, tense and _scared._

The full moon will begin tonight, and for two nights, he'll have to thrash and cry and _howl_ as he remembers just how much of a monster he really is…

Today, he's moved his chest of drawers in front of his door. But then that seemed childish, so he's moved it right back where it was.

His ears are starting to point, dull in their ache as he begins to change so soon. But he pulls on a slouched beanie, dragging it over his pointing tips, and descends to the bar with a tremble in his step.

Cloud had saved him. Cloud had cared for him. And he had been foolish enough to _want_ him… And he fears that perhaps Cloud has found him out, and has been too disgusted to face him…

But the blond is there when he enters the bar, head bowed as he reads with focused blue eyes… He exhales slowly, attempting to _calm_ , and clears his throat to gain Tifa's attention.

“S-sorry, Tifa, but… Can I talk to you?” His eyes dart to Cloud, to how intensely he reads… “In… In private, please.”

He forces himself to look at red instead of distant blue.

\----------

Cloud hears those footsteps, golden brow furrowing as he takes a brief glance up. It always seems as though Zack is sick, feverish, unsettled...a byproduct of that horrible training, perhaps. It looks like it’s getting worse, however...something making Zack entirely unsettled.

Those eyes lift to his, before they dart to Tifa’s.

He wishes to speak with Tifa.

And Tifa _alone_. 

Cloud stands, setting his book aside. 

“...it’s alright,” he says, offering Tifa a slight smile.

“...need to do some maintenance on the bike anyways.”

It’s only Tifa he seems interested in speaking to, anymore. He seems close with her, intimate, only sparing Cloud a few looks. Was he abused by men? Does he fear that Cloud will injure him, won’t listen? He tries to offer Zack space...tries to show he’ll listen if approached. 

But the more likely outcome is that Zack is more interested in Tifa. That he trusts her more. 

And...if that makes him happy…

Cloud shakes the thought from his head, heading to the door.

And when it closes, Tifa looks up at Zack worriedly.

“...what is it? Is it….starting early?”

Her fears run that way, ever since one of his sessions began early in the morning rather than as night fell. Her frantic motions to get Zack chained up when his thrashing _began_ , the way he had clawed at her arms...it left a few _fears_ , strong and visceral.

\----------

He _flinches_ as Cloud stands, powerless as his eyes dart over, to watch the way muscles shift and move beneath those clothes. His throat feels dry, and he lets out an almost _animalistic_ whimper when Cloud excuses himself.

And when that door latches shut, it feels like a gunshot tearing through him.

He can't do this anymore. He can't spend nights howling and sobbing for a single man that is trying to put distance between them. Cloud will just see him as the monster he is. Perhaps… Cloud would be the one to kill him… But that would be the worst of deaths. To see those beautiful blues so filled with _hate_ as a sword was brought down on him…

His eyes are watering when he forcefully turns them away from the door and back to her.

He feels _agonizing_ guilt for what he's put her through. He knows he scares her, that he's scratched and lashed out at her… But she's an honest, trusting soul… And he couldn't bear for Cloud to know his secret.

“I… My ears are, but I have time,” he whispers, far too used to the process to know when it's going to happen.

He swallows, a bit pale.

“I… know you wanted to try tranquilizers tonight. I do too, don't get me wrong, but…”

_Get me something that will ensure I won't wake up again._

“...get something strong enough to put a behemoth down. I…”

He takes a breath, unknowing of her response to his request.

“I want you… to kill me.”

\----------

Tears _immediately_ spring to her eyes, her hands reaching out for his face.

“Zack...Zack _no…_ ”

She’s felt so stressed out, this has no difficulty bringing sobs to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“No, no...I won’t do that. I won’t. We’ll find something, I promise. There has to be something out there...and I’ll find it. We’ll end this together, I promise…”

She wraps her arms around him, burying her head in his chest.

“...I won’t kill you. I won’t….we’ll try the tranquilizers tonight, something _has_ to work…”

She lets out a shuddering sigh, lifting a hand to mop up her tears.

“...please. Just hang on…”

\----------

His own breath hitches as tears silently streak down his face, hands in fists at his sides as he simply nuzzles into her hair like a child seeking comfort.

“This is too hard on you… A-and Cloud… He's never gonna come around, Tifa. He… He hardly _looks_ at me anymore.”

He's shaking, but his walls relent. He relents, expelling a long exhale as he leans back, shoulder resting against the wall.

“...One more night.”

He's had too many nightmares. Nightmares of killing Cloud, of painting Seventh Heaven in blood. And, even worse, he's had nightmares of _raping_ Cloud, of beating him until he sees red and submission…

And it terrifies him.

“One more night, Tifa…”

\----------

If she was wasn’t stressed before...she is _now_.

Her hands tremble, as she gathers her supplies for the night. Cloud has left, about an hour ago, and she’s _scared_ , scared they’re going to lose Zack...scared there’s nothing they can even _do_. 

She stares at the heavy chains in the basement, the straps to keep Zack hobbled on the ground. His arms are lashed, one over the other, behind his back, and then shackled tightly to the strut. The collar fastens about his throat, muffling his screams, keeping him in the room…

Zack isn’t yet bound in place, they have a few minutes left. She wants him to watch the open sky for a while, as he won’t get to see it for a few days. 

Tears stream down her cheeks, hoping this tranquilizer works. 

She doesn’t know what else can be done.

“...Zack?” she calls, softly, “...I’m...I’m ready for you down here…”

\-----------

He spends the day in _anxiety_. He paces, he steps outside just to inhale the _air_ , he rubs at his ears and idly flips through the book Cloud has abandoned. But the day still goes by too fast, and he can feel the beginnings of his transformation _aching_ in his bones. His teeth hurt, his ears hurt, and he knows he has to hurry…

Tifa goes down before him, and he spends his final moments of calm just standing outside of the 

open door, watching the sky turn a burning orange as the moon is already beginning to peak.

He hears her voice and, shaking, goes to the basement.

He’s far too familiar with the arrangement, by now. But it’s to keep Tifa and the kids safe, and so 

he has no argument for it. He’d rather live a restrained beast than an uncontrollable one. And so he

sits, assuming his position before the thick support beam. He’s already starting to tremble, a 

_whimper_ building in his throat. But he keeps his fists clenched. He isn’t going to let loose until he’s

tied. He’s hurt Tifa once, and that was one too many times…

He hopes the tranq will work.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, voice strained as he watches tears stain her face.

It only solidifies his decision.

He can’t cause her more pain.

“...R-ready when you are…”

\--------

She moves quickly, starting with his arms. She moves to his neck, fastening the collar to allow him only a few inches’ worth of room to move his head, then fastens thighs to calves.

The process doesn’t take long. She’s done it so many times…

“...it’s not your fault,” she whispers, watching that tortured face. Her fingers lift to softly take off his beanie, to gently touch a puppy-soft ear. “...it’s not your fault, Zack…”

Though even at the slightest movement, she’s quick to move back, ever aware that those teeth are razor sharp.

The tranquilizer she brings to his mouth, unwilling to administer it like he’s _cattle_. She doesn’t want to inject him.

He’ll be in enough pain soon enough.

“Here,” she whispers, holding it for him to drink, “...hopefully this’ll let you sleep through the worst of it.”

Her fingers brush against his shoulder.

“...I’ll be back come dawn. Can I….can I do anything, before…?”

She always asks him, asks if he needs anything, if she can do something…

\-------

Other than the way his muscles twitch and tremble, he’s perfectly still as he’s bound. He closes his eyes while she doesn’t, trying to hide the expression he must be wearing… And when she’s done, he opens them again, a trembling “thank you” barely a whisper.

She offers the tranquilizer and he takes it, swallowing just enough water to wash it down. He shudders at the taste, then again as he feels his teeth _push_ through his gums. He whimpers,

his breathing getting heavier…

But she’s so gentle with his ear, stroking the velvet fur that now covers it. She brushes his shoulder and he can almost find peace in it. But another shudder rips through him, and he

chokes off a howl.

“N-no, just… go upstairs. I’ll… I’ll be fine…”

He just hopes the tranq will work…

(He hopes he won’t wake up.)

\------------

She leaves him, heading upstairs. She’s bought earplugs, yet cannot bring herself to ever use them. If she’s the only one witness to his anguish then she will witness it. He’s not a burden. He’s a member of her family, just like Cloud, just like Marlene. 

She won’t block him out. 

She fears when the pain might grow enough that he’d scream her name, that he’d finally give in and shriek for help. She doesn’t know what she’d do...but she’d be damned if she left him alone…

She hopes to hear the howls and screams ease as the tranquilizer goes to work….but they never do.

To her horror, the tranquilizer never works. His screams, his howls, his _cries_...they’re the same intense agony they always are. 

By the time the moon sets, she heads down, her heart pounding. She hasn’t slept anymore than he has.

She brings water, meat. Quickly, quickly, her steps trembling as she races down to his side.

\---------

He waits for the tranquilizers to work.

They never do.

He’s in _agony_ , feeling as if his body is burning from the inside out. He tugs and thrashes against his chains, desperate just for it to _end_. But by morning, all he’s accomplished is a sore throat, and wrists bleeding from where he’s chaffed clean through his long sleeves.

He hears Tifa coming, yet he doesn’t move. He’s hunched, weak and allowing his chains to hold his weight. Everything _aches_ , yet he knows it won’t be over yet. His ears and teeth are still pointed, eyes still glowing a sickly green. But the pain has passed, as it always done with the moon disappears…

He waits until he sees her shoes before he lifts his head, tracks of tears both old and fresh

streaking his face with salt and _agony_.

“I-It didn’t _work_ ,” he rasps, a wolfish _whine_ pathetically leaking through. And he shudders, not even 

wanting to drink… “J-just _kill me_ , please… I can’t _do_ this anymore, Tifa, please…!”

He can’t. He can’t suffer like this, when there’s no cure, not even something to make him _sleep_. He can’t.

\---------

Tears spill down her cheeks, when she hears his plea. She chokes on her own sobs, setting the tray down, feeling the cold threads of _hopelessness_ start to wind around her. What right does she have, making him do this, month after month? He wants it to stop, and to see him in this much agony…

“Please, please...please, just give me another chance,” she begs, tears spilling down her cheeks, “...please, I don’t want to lose you…”

She sets the tray down before she drops it, though the pitcher falls to shatter, only making her sob more.

“...please...please, I’ll head into town...just...just don’t give up…”

Such raw _pleading_. She couldn’t stand to watch him die, but she also can’t stand to watch him suffer…

\--------

He can’t _stand_ seeing her cry over him. He’s just a monster, a _burden_. He can't even look her in the eye, letting his head fall limply as his body heaves with his own sobs, his own _pain_ …

He doesn’t want her to mourn him.

But she doesn’t have to _put up_ with him, either.

He flinches sharply when the pitcher shatters, the noise so much louder and _higher_ than what he’s used to. And she’s pleading for him to reconsider, but he _can’t_ …

Perhaps… he’ll just have to find his own means.

“G-get something stronger,” is all he begs, shaking horribly as he fights to calm. “Please, Tifa, I can’t do this again…”

This, he decides, will be his final cycle.

“J-just leave me here, don’t… unbind me. Just… leave me, please…”

\---------

She doesn’t want to leave, but she _has_ to. She has to find something stronger, anything...something that will ease the pain enough so Zack will not want for death…

Her sobs are relentless, and she manages to nod and agree, her wrists trembling. 

“P-please, I’ll find something...I’ll try, just...j-just don’t give up. Please…”

She brushes her fingers over his knee, where she’s certain he can’t lash out.

“I’ll go now...please, just try to rest…”

She runs, half tripping up the stairs. She doesn’t waste time getting out of the house, to go find something...anything…

But there’s nothing in Midgar. There’s some rumors over in Kalm, and she’s desperate enough to take them…

~

His deliveries went...faster, than normal. A bit of luck, seeing a client in another town over, not having to travel all the way across the country to get to them. And now...he’s heading back. 

It’s nearly nightfall, when Cloud Strife heads into 7th Heaven, stretching his back a bit.

“Tifa?” he calls softly, to an empty house. “...Zack?”

No answer. 

But he hears _noises_ , coming from the basement.

\--------

He doesn’t move as Tifa leaves, though he does whisper a broken word of thanks and apology…

He dozes in and out of consciousness throughout the day, stomach growling angrily at him as his 

throat shrivels dry. He fidgets, he whimpers, but other than that, he’s silent as a corpse. rotting…

Until the moon rises.

The pain and agony wakes him from his fitful sleep, and he arches against his bindings with aching joints and sleeping fingers. Tifa hasn’t returned, and he wonder if he’s scared her so much that she won’t even open the basement door to hear him. And that thought seems to add to his distress, muscles flexing as he reopens the scabs on his wrists as he thrashes. Howls tear, broken and dry, from his throat, the only other noise being whimpers or choking sobs.

He just wants it to _end_.

But his sensitive ears pick up on something once the moon has risen enough to rile him, and he bites down on his lip, enough to draw _blood_ , to try to keep himself silent when he hears bootfalls above him that most certainly do not belong to Tifa…

\----------

He can’t place the sound. Howling? It doesn’t sound like a dog, some mix of dog and _person_ , but the one thing he does pull from the sound is _agony_. 

And it’s coming from the basement. 

One hand rests on the hilt of the fusion blade, the other holding a small lantern he keeps with him on his trips. Sharp blue eyes gaze into the dark as he opens the door, moving down quietly, scanning the darkness for movement. 

He doesn’t call out, prepared to strike down whatever monster has crawled itself into their basement. A possessed Midgar Wolf, perhaps? Maybe it got too close to a reactor…

But the shape is human, braced to the wall, and, from the looks and sounds of things...chained. 

Cloud’s brows furrow in confusion.

\----------

He hears those boots begin down the stairs, sees the beam of a lantern sending light down the wooden steps. He tries to curl up on himself, whimpers and growls fighting each other in his throat. His human side is _terrified_ , but the wolf that’s possessing him is ready to protect territory.

The same reaction he had given when he bit Tifa.

His eyes are _glowing_ in the dark, and he can see the figure easily. And his blood goes _icy_ , all noises choking around a block in his throat when he processes.

Cloud has found him.

He sees the way his hand is on his sword, the way his expression suddenly drops to calm defense to… confusion. And he immediately looks away, hiding his face in the dark tangles of his hair in hopes Cloud will just mistake him for some monster Tifa caught on the streets…

_...Just kill me. I don’t want you to know it’s me._

\---------

Cloud draws his blade, though not to strike. The tip he brings out, careful to only use the flat to try to lift that face to where he can see it, to know if he’s dealing with something sentient or something monstrous. Something scared, or something _aggressive…_

He lifts that chin with his blade, able to keep plenty of distance between him and the dark figure. Again, his expression turns to calm, well masked defense, ready to bring that blade down in half a second if things turn nasty. 

The figure is a mess, that he can see from here. But he has so many questions, why is the figure bound? Why is it in _their_ basement? What is Tifa doing?

And when there’s resistance, he issues a command, his voice cool and focused.

“Look at me.”


	2. Chapter 2

He hears the _shink_ of that sword being drawn and he braces himself. He hopes that, at the very least, Cloud will make it quick. A slit throat-- Maybe just cut off his entire head. Even if he was chopped into little pieces, though, he’d still be _happy_.

But it’s the flat of the blade he feels, frigid cold against his burning skin. 

He tries to make him turn, to make him _look_ , but he resists. A growl fights loose against his clamped teeth, but a _whimper_ trails it, as if to contradict…

Maybe he’ll think Zack is just in pain. Put him out of his misery…

But he can’t ignore that order. Not when those are the first precious words Cloud has spoken to him in a week… And he lifts his head, eyes glowing bright, pupils slit, and he _begs_.

“J-just… _kill me…_ ”

\--------

Blue eyes _widen_ , to lock eyes not with a monster but with _Zack_. That youthful face contorted in anguish, eyes nearly green and slitted…

He quickly puts away the blade, no longer afraid to approach. Hands lift to that face, holding him.

“My god,” he whispers, “...what happened?”

Has someone broken in? Is someone torturing Zack?

“Where’s Tifa? Who did this to you?”

Cloud’s voice turns tight with worry, turning to look over his shoulder. Has he wandered into a trap? Is Zack the bait? They never finished off all the scientists in that godforsaken lab, have they finally tracked Zack down?

His hand slips to that neck, to try to get the collar loose, still watching over his shoulder sharply.

\---------

He’s recognized, and his tears pool again.

The questions are rapid-fire and he can only _whimper_ again, shaking as his body still fights to be 

free. He can’t handle it, watching the man he’s fallen so _hard_ for demand who’s done this, when

this happened, and how _dare_ he look so scared…

It isn’t until Cloud reaches for his collar that he thrashes, _snarling_ until those hands leave 

him. But he can’t bite him, can’t _hurt_ him… can only warn him.

Barrier materia glows within his collar. If it’s to be removed… who _knows_ what he could do.

“Don’t!” he growls, heaving himself against his chains in a dire attempt to go away, tail busy behind him as it tries to seek safety between his braced knees. He hiccups around a sob that sounds like the beginning of a howl, eyes wide and _pleading_.

“D-don’t… I-I don’t wanna hurt you, _please_ …”

He could never forgive himself for hurting the one he cares most for…

\---------

Cloud suddenly stops, eyes wide when he sees that mouth, those teeth…

But it’s when beautiful blue eyes spot those ears that it begins to make sense...why every month, almost exactly, when Zack is getting antsier and antsier, he has to leave...why Tifa and Zack look so worn when he returns…

He remembers hearing howling before. Faint. Months ago, close enough not to be a wild wolf, something Tifa almost _frantically_ explaining had to be just a stray or something. 

Lately he’d find black fur, small clumps...as though someone was plucking a dog. Things before he had thought weird, but hadn’t thought...much about it. 

But now…

“...so...this is why I have convenient packages during every full moon…”

His voice is quiet.

“...where’s Tifa, though…? She doesn’t...stay with you?”

\---------

He heaves with heavy breaths as Cloud draws back, those eyes so _apologetic_ … And he watches in silent horror as that confusion turns to quiet understanding, and his eyes dart to that blade again in hopes it will raise and end him…

He realizes the timing.

He realises he’s a beast.

“I-I’m sorry, Cloud, I--”

But he brings up Tifa, and that head falls again in shame.

“Sh-she leaves me… I…” Another shudder rips through him, muscles bunching and flexing as he instinctively fights his bonds. “I’m dangerous,” he finishes quietly, tears beginning to track down his face. “She l-left to find me… a tranquilizer that’ll… actually work…”

And that heavy head lifts, ears back in a show of _submission_.

“I’m a monster, Cloud, _please_ , just… kill me…”

\----------

Of all the things he sees chained in front of him, a _monster_ is not one of them. He steps forward, now fully understanding. Gloved fingers lift to Zack’s ear, ignoring the previous snarls, ignoring the growls…

“...is this what they did, in the laboratory?” he asks softly, slowly hunching down so he can be closer, so he can see better. “...I never got an answer on the experiments. Just...gene splicing. I guess...this is why…”

His hand comes to cup that cheek, coming down fully to his knees in order to _touch_. He brushes away those tears.

“...have tranquilizers worked before?” he asks, his voice deeply concerned, hoping that this is _rarer_ , that Zack is only like this when they run out. Though the thought of leaving him shackled like this, even in rest...Cloud doesn’t like it.

There’s some strong instinct though, the instinct to share heat, to share comfort...and it takes Cloud over as he moves his other hand to rest against that roiling torso. 

\----------

He _whines_ to that touch on his ear, head canting into it. He can’t bite him, doesn’t _want_ to, when he’s picked Cloud for his mate… Every touch from him feels _perfect_.

But Cloud gets closer, to see by the dim light of the lamp, and Zack swallows heavily against

the collar that binds him. “...Yeah,” he whimpers, a sharp exhale escaping when that cool hand

rests on his feverish cheek… His eyes flutter shut as Cloud just _touches_ him, wiping his tears.

“No…” Comes the soft confession, a beat too late and more mournful than it ought to be. “There’s nothing… to help…”

But he feels a hand press against his chest, as if to calm the way his muscles spasm and fight, 

and he gasps, a huff expelling through his nose as his tail dares to lift, patchy and dull. He goes

a bit limp, resting his weight onto that palm…

He bites his tongue on the words that threaten to spill.

_Touch me, please…_

\----------

Cloud is quick to spot the contradiction, the mournful _there’s nothing to help_ followed by a sudden dispelling of nerves, the way Zack’s body shows signs of relaxing. He watches that throat, trying to see if the muscles there show signs of calming…

He pulls his hand back, only to pull his glove off, the hunch stronger as he carefully opens Zack’s shirt, slides his hand along that bare flesh. 

“...this...seems to help,” he whispers softly, looking into Zack’s eyes for confirmation. Blue eyes are bright with sympathy...the faintest touch of affection in there as well.

“...sounds like you’re in a lot of pain,” he whispers, palming gently at those ribs, feeling the way the expand with each heaving breath, “...but no potions help? No tranqs or elixirs…”

Soft blue eyes fall to that torso, pulling off his other glove, watching Zack’s response to the touch being withdrawn.

\---------

He whimpers when that touch leaves him, catching himself again. Cloud needs to leave, to get _out_ , before he finds out just _why_ Zack is in so much agony here…

But he shivers despite his fever when his shirt is open, eyes fluttering shut against Cloud’s gaze

as that gentle stroke sparks flames against his skin. He twitches, but is otherwise lax, breathing

still deep and uneven…

He only manages to shake his head at the questions, but those eyes open again when the touch leaves him. And he _whines_ , trembling like a leaf ready to fall in a storm as he strains against his chains to get closer. His eyes are darker now, pupils blown wide, but they still glow in the damp darkness of the basement, rivaling the warm glow from Cloud’s lantern.

“P-please,” he _begs_ , whimpers and whines strangling each other in their fight to 

get out, ears _flat_ as he fights for more touches other than that of his bonds...

\--------

Cloud’s eyes brighten slightly, a curiosity slipping into his gaze, and a _hope_. For so long he’s watched Zack wince whenever he’d move, watching those blue eyes avert down. He’d been so afraid that Zack feared him, that Zack thought of him as one of those _men_...and he feared what had happened to Zack in the depths of that lab…

But now he’s being begged for. 

“...you...want me to touch you?” he asks softly, not finishing the question before he lifts both bare hands to skirt gently up and over those broad shoulders, beneath the cloth. He traces that collarbone gingerly, working his way closer so he can do what he’s wanted to do for so long…

_Explore_.

“...does this help? Where do you want me to touch…?”

Until he gets his answer, he keeps both hand upwards, stroking over that powerful breast, feeling that heart hammering beneath.

\---------

The touch returns and he nearly _melts_ , whimpering out another trembling “ _please_ ” when Cloud asks. His breathing irritates his throat, but he can’t calm it, eyes shutting and head dropping limply as he _feels_ those touches, feels the way they ignite across his feverish skin…

Those bare hands pass onto his chest and he _gasps_ again, whimpering desperately when 

Cloud asks _where_ and he can’t bring himself to say… He can’t bring himself to confess

how _pained_ his arousal is, straining and destined to go angrily untouched…

But instead, he allows the lust to slowly take parts of his mind. After all, he can’t rape Cloud like this… if Cloud doesn’t want him, well… He can just get up and walk out.

He lifts his head, searching desperately for those blue eyes that remind him of the sky…

“I… I wanna kiss you, Cloud…”

_I need you_ …

\--------

Bright blue eyes sharpen, lifting in _confusion_. 

Cloud gazes at those lips, lifting himself up a touch, but his brows tighten…

“...but...you’re afraid of me,” he whispers softly, cupping Zack’s cheek, “...you flinch whenever I talk, I see you eating at the table, but then...then you _run_ from me….”

Bright blue eyes gaze into Zack’s, for answers.

“...I...I thought...that I reminded you of the men in the lab. That...you were afraid of me…”

But he doesn’t withhold. Gingerly, he leans in, brushing his lips _softly_ against Zack’s. His hand buries into that mane, gently holding it. 

And as he scoots closer, he feels something against his leg, breaking the kiss to gaze down. The tent in those pants is hard to make out in the dark, but now that he’s felt it…

“....oh,” he whispers softly, the sound of disappointment thick.

_...not me. Just...anyone, I guess._

Still. Maybe if he’s able to gentle this down...Zack will trust him. Maybe even come to love him. 

\----------

“ _No_ ,” he gasps, straining towards him. “I’m not _scared_ of you, C-Cloud, but I--”

_He already knows I’m a monster. What’s more disgust?_

“I don’t hate you either, Cloud, I lo--”

But he hears that little _oh_ , lips still burning where they had so briefly touched Cloud’s.

 

His heart crashes into a cold pool of his empty stomach, nausea and fear and _rejection_ clawing

at him from the inside out. This is the point where Cloud will walk _away_. Perhaps spit at him. If

he’s lucky, maybe he’ll be killed after all. Or just… left here. Waiting for Tifa to return with some

kind of sedative… Hopefully a tranquilizer that can double as a _euthanizer_.

“I’m sorry,” he chokes, turning his head away. A kiss… sure. But this… There’s no way Cloud will be okay with this. “I’m _sorry_ , it’s d-disgusting, I know…”

\---------

Cloud’s hands stay fixed, just under that jaw, gazing down at Zack’s lap as he settles, slowly, into it. He swallows, thinking about the sounds of pure _anguish_ he had heard before. Zack _needs_ him, even if he’s not his chosen.

_Perhaps it’s Tifa._

He lets go, in favor of petting against Zack’s hip, carefully sliding his hand forward to undo the belt at that lower stomach, pushing his pants down enough to free that arousal.

“...it’s alright, it’s alright--”

Blue eyes lift to Zack’s when he hears that apology, frantic and choked. He leans forward, to brush his lips against Zack’s again, slowly curling his fingers about the base of his arousal as he does so. He’s done it with himself enough times, though the angle is slightly awkward.

His hand slides up Zack’s chest from that arousal, brushing over that lower stomach, up along his chest.

“...I’ll take care of you.”

Cloud gently presses his lips to the center of that chest, feeling that heart hammering beneath his lips.

\---------

He whimpers as Cloud moves to settle in his lap, hips twitching in _need_. And he _moans_ at the rub to his hip, breath speeding up as he’s kisses and _touched_ \--

He _howls_ his pleasure against those lips at such a light touch, chasing after those lips

when they leave him far too soon. But that hand moves up to his chest, where that

mouth presses almost _reverently_ to his heart. It’s racing, he knows, as he can hear the

roar of it in his ears… 

Though he manages to speak, stammering out as his hands fist and fight against their restraints.

“I-I want _you_ , Cl-Cloud, _please_ …!”

He’s beyond his anxieties, now. Now, it’s just burning pain with pinpricks of pleasure, cock already

_leaking_ at the sparse attention it’s received. He doesn’t know what’ll happen when it’s sated, if it’s

some perverse version of a _true love’s kiss_ , or if it simply _can’t_ be sated until sunrise and moonfall.

“I’ve w-wanted you… for so _long_ ,” he whimpers, letting his lips kiss what he can reach, secured behind his lips.

\-----------

The howl half startles the blond, but when he realizes it’s from pleasure, his hand relaxes a bit. But it’s when Zack stutters out pleas for _him_ directly that Cloud’s eyes widen, making him sit up, making him draw that head into his hands and gaze into those eyes…

“....m-me?” he asks, “...me…?”

He sounds baffled, his voice almost _meek_. Though in contrast to that meek voice, he kisses Zack with _fire_ now, nearly bruising that mouth as he takes it, claiming it for his own. Ever so _slightly_ does he grind forward, his right hand palming Zack’s nipple.

“....I...I didn’t...I didn’t imagine you wanted _me_ …”

He bows to kiss above the collar, reaching down now to stroke Zack a bit _harder_. Perhaps some release of this tension and there will be peace at last for him.

“Easy,” he whispers, his voice taking on a bit more of an edge of _dominance_ when he feels that writhing, pleading frame beneath his. “Easy. Be still, Zack.”

His hand fists in that mane, as though scruffing an unruly dog. He leans in, pressing a brief bite to that neck, above the collar. 

\---------

“Y-yes,” he whimpers, eyes wide and desperate. He can’t find disgust on Cloud’s face, but there’s shock…

And then he’s being kissed _hard_ , making his back arch. He _moans_ into the kiss, arms tugging uselessly against his bonds as he heatedly returns it. Though he’s completely fine with Cloud taking control, his body is screaming for _more_ , mind just a mess of _need_ amid his pleasure.

He’s stroked harder, _better_ , and he _writhes_ against his bonds, howling again when

his sight threatens to _blacken_ … He whimpers at the order he’s given and he tries to

obey, body shaking and hips twitching for friction as those lips claim his neck. He 

doubts the quick bite will leave a mark, and so he _pants_ , tilting his head as much as he can.

“M-Mark me, _please_ …”

Something tells him that it’s a _mating right_. To claim each other with intimate bruises, to _smell_ of each other… And he wants to return it. He wants to mark that pale throat for his own, to taste what Cloud’s flesh will be when he becomes his _mate_.

“I-I’m _yours_ , please--!”

\---------

He feels the instinct so _strongly_ , fingers working quickly to unbind that collar so he can bite down _properly_. His hand remains fisted in that mane, to keep that head still, that throat exposed, and when the collar falls away, he _bites_.

The bite is _hard_ , bruising flesh, bringing to the surface a mark worthy of a _wolf_. His hand lowers to continue stroking Zack, still working his teeth about that mark.

His hands still stay gentle, however, brushing along Zack’s torso while the other slowly moves from a tight hold to gently petting that hair. 

“...that’s it,” he whispers, pulling back. Zack has to be close…

“Just let go now.”

\---------

His collar falls away, and he feels it _instantly_.

The barrier keeping him pinned, keeping him chained, falls away from him. But he has no desire

to break it, another howling _moan_ of pleasure as Cloud bites down to claim him. He doesn’t even

feel the pain behind it, heat coiling and boiling in his lower stomach as he’s stroked, as those teeth

continue to suckle and bruise at his throat. But that hand moves from his arousal to his torso, but

the fire does not go out. A few brushes over a nipple and those soft words have him _keening_ , hips

arching in desperate _need_.

He moans and whimpers _nonsense_ as he’s suspended on the edge of his orgasm, eyes rolling back and spilling tears as his head falls backwards, hitting dully against the beam he’s bound to. His body feels as if he’s a burning man at a stake, and Cloud is the fuel to the fire.

“ _Please!”_ he nearly _screams_ , shuddering breaths fighting out of his throat.

\--------

Cloud strokes _harder_ at that, trying to push him over, trying to give the poor man some _peace_. Fingers work up and over the tip of the shaft, working harder and harder, almost _rough…_

And when that plea comes, so desperate and screaming, the tears spilling down those cheeks, Cloud bows to kiss at that neck again, doing everything he can to encourage him over the edge.

“Come on,” he whispers, leaning up into that ear.

“Come. Now.”

It’s another order, and Cloud makes his own low _growl_ of a noise. 

\---------

It’s almost as if his body has been denied so long that he simply _can’t_ , muscles arching and spasming as Cloud works him. But the rougher he gets, the better it feels, and it’s that whispered order and a _growl_ that push him over.

He cums, _hard_ , and his vision goes black for a moment. He distantly hears the _snap_ of the straps

binding his thighs to his calves as he arches, head laying heavily on Cloud’s shoulder once he’s 

finished. He’s breathing _hard_ , throat achingly dry but he doesn’t _care_ …. He thinks he had 

screamed, but his ears are ringing too much to be sure...

“ _Cloud_ ,” he whispers, voice broken and _husky_. “Cloud, _please_ … I love you…”

He’s still hard.

\------------

Cloud wraps his hands against the back of that neck, breathing with Zack, feeling that breath, feeling him pant. He hears that voice and it makes him _warm_ , warm and aware of his own strain in his pants…

But when he glances down...Zack’s arousal is still there, still hard, still aching and leaking as though he never _came_. 

Cloud’s brows furrow. 

“...you’re...not calming,” he whispers, running his hand along that stomach. He bows to kiss the mark, slowly beginning to pull back. 

His eyes are dark. And if Zack is still hard…

Maybe it doesn’t have to be onesided.

“Wait here…” he whispers into that ear, planting another kiss to the mark and standing.

He’ll need lube.

\----------

He moans when Cloud holds him, when he kisses him, but the fire has not _stopped_. He whimpers softly when his problem is noticed, hips twitching as if _ashamed_. But he looks up when Cloud removes himself, eyes wide and expression almost _puppy-like_ as he watches his mate prepare to leave.

He doesn’t ask _where_ Cloud is going when he awkwardly hurries up the stairs, but he’s only gone 

for a matter of _seconds_ before he’s howling in agony again.

But he shakes himself out of it, using the freedom by his removed collar to tug at his bonds, hearing them snap and shatter against his wolfish strength. He spends a moment just to get out of his clothes, as if that might help him cool, before he and his ragged frame begin stumbling up the stairs after his mate.

“C-Cloud…?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> author's warning: brief mention of off screen sexual trauma at the beginning.

The sound of _agony_ makes Cloud move faster, grabbing the small tube from beside his bed. But Zack is already upstairs, and for a moment it makes Cloud’s brows raise. Such incredible strength, to snap _steel_ …

“Hey,” he snaps, a sharp correction. Cloud is strong himself, taking a hold of Zack’s mane and curling his arm down sharply, to bring Zack _down_ to his knees. He’s not going to let Zack move freely, not until he’s sure this is done and Zack is still.

And his will is strong, like any alpha’s. 

He doesn’t care that Zack is on his stomach, for now. He just wants Zack’s _submission_.

The lube drops in front of the taller, as Cloud easily pins him.

\----------

Zack comes to a halt when Cloud snaps at him, eyes wide as his entire frame _shakes_. He feels as if he physically _can’t_ disobey an order, even an unspoken one, if it comes from his mate… Though, he _did_ get out of the basement, so maybe… maybe _not_.

He whimpers when that hand curls into his hair and he’s forced down, but he doesn’t mind

being on his knees, dryly licking his lips at what he could do from here--

But then he’s pushed further, down onto his stomach as Cloud pins him. And he’s _okay_ with this, laughing briefly (almost _sharply_ ) before he notices the tube of lube.

And then he _panics_.

It’s too fresh in his mind, despite it being a _year_ by now. Being strapped down onto his stomach with his knees digging into a steel table, being _milked_ for semen for a sick scientist’s research as a _machine_ massaged him from the inside, making him helpless to it…

He immediately begins to try to scramble away, blind in his panic as he claws across the floor, pushing himself up to knock Cloud off. And he rolls over so he’s sitting, back braced against the way. His tail is curled almost _protectively_ between his legs, eyes wide in frantic terror and chest heaving for a different reason now.

But this is Cloud…

He… He wouldn’t do that, would he?

\-----------

The _panic_ makes Cloud let go. Before, the pain and arousal and need had led him to be dominant, more _powerful_. But the fear...it makes him let go, watching the way Zack braces to the wall, watching a long, ill kept tail lift between those legs.

“...Zack…?” he asks softly, slowly crawling towards the larger. Carefully, he rests a hand on that leg, trying to reacquaint him with his touch, with his love…

“...what’s wrong…?”

Blue eyes peer into slitted green, gingerly reaching to cup his jaw. 

“I’m not gonna hurt you…”

\----------

For a moment, he _growls_ when Cloud moves closer, but he catches himself, gasping a small apology as that hand brushes against the bare skin of his thigh…

He relaxes almost instantly to the touch, just as before, as if it’s a reflex to trust his mate so deeply and wholly… And when his face is cupped, he whimpers gently, reaching forward to give a testing stroke of fingers against his shirt, lingering at the zipper…

But his eyes are still a bit _haunted_.

“I can’t…” He swallows, coughing briefly on the dryness there. Those frightened eyes are miles away, looking over to where the lube lay. “I don’t want… I _can’t do_ … p-penetration…”

He _shudders_ , as if the memories have actually made him ill, but he allows those curious hands to slide around to Cloud’s back, dipping lower until he finds the hem of his pants.

“B-But I don’t mind… g-giving it…”

\---------

Cloud reaches curiously for that tail, stroking at the fur that’s not matted or torn out. He lifts Zack’s hand to his zipper, kissing those fingers before using Zack’s hand to pull his zipper down.

But at those words...he _laughs_. 

“Didn’t want to take you,” he says with a soft, sweet little laugh, “...only wanted you inside of me.”

Cloud eases out of his shirt...letting Zack push it off his shoulders, if he wishes. Slowly, he opens his pants, stepping out of them and reaching for the lube…

He climbs into Zack’s lap, taking hold of his hair again to put him flat to the ground on his back, putting the tube on that chest. 

He kneels up, straddling Zack’s waist, opening the cap and slowly beginning to prepare himself. He lays down after a moment, pressing his head over Zack’s chest, rear up so Zack can _watch_.

\-----------

He _blushes_ , even darker than he already has been. But Cloud’s laugh sounds _nice_ , and he idly watches the way he plays with his torn-up tail to stroke it, to feel the long strands of fur that bush out…

“I… can do that,” he whispers hotly, _moaning_ when he’s wrestled back down to the floor by his hair. He’s nothing but submissive for his mate, the fear in those eyes ebbing away in favor of affection and _lust_.

But he can’t keep his hands to himself, especially when Cloud starts to prep himself above him. He reaches first to cup that face, to allow feverish hands and gentle pads of sharpened claws to stroke his cheeks and into his hair, exploring under his shirt before he finally pushes it off. And he takes a moment just to _look_ at him, a low _groan_ rumbling in his throat in _want_ …

His hands then reach for those pale, muscled thighs, stroking along the sensitive insides

before he reaches up to gently, almost _cautiously_ , stroke his arousal…

He honestly still can’t believe this is happening.

“Cloud,” he murmurs, leaning up to kiss at that neck. “Can I… mark you too?”

\-----------

Cloud groans as those fingers stroke the insides of his thighs, up along his sex...his body arching for more even though he knows he’s close already. He moves his hips slowly against Zack’s hands, gently thrusting into that touch while he works himself open…

“Yes, but...not yet,” he whispers, shushing against the corner of Zack’s mouth.

“...wait ‘till you’re inside me.”

He sits up, both hands coming to rest against Zack’s neck, his thumbs working up into that jaw to keep Zack still…

As he slowly slides down onto Zack’s shaft.

Blue eyes roll back, a loud _groan_ escaping his lips. He leans forward, releasing Zack’s neck as he works himself all the way down, hilt deep.

“....ah….ahhhh….Zack…” he whimpers, lifting his jaw in invitation for a bite.

\--------

He whimpers when he’s denied, but lays back down obediently, though his hands raise to stroke at those arms as if in _wonder_ …

But then he feels Cloud lower against him, and then he’s _surrounded_ by him, feet digging into the 

floor as he simultaneously tries to thrust and keep still. He _howls_ for him, hands desperately 

grabbing for those hips, scratching him in the process. But he doesn’t take much notice to it, too

consumed by the _heat_ and the temptation of that neck…

He’s had nightmares where he tears into that flesh and _kills_ him…

So it’s with _care_ that his mouth closes over that neck, teeth just barely _grazing_ against the skin before his lips cover them to suckle, to tempt blood to rise to the surface and _bruise_. His hands begin to stroke at that chest again, running over ribs and nipples until he brushes back to shoulder-blades and spine, _enraptured_ by the feeling…

“ _Cloud_ ,” he moans into his neck, lightly nibbling at the circular spot he’s created.

\---------

Cloud whimpers slightly, a faint sound of pain passing his lips when those sharp teeth take him. And he knows Zack is being gentle, yet still it does require such _trust_ to lay still and let those teeth play so close to his vein…

He breathes out with a soft _huff_ , though, when the bruising starts to feel... _good_. More than a huff. A moan escapes his lips, thighs trembling slightly as he lifts and drops his hips, to time it with those gentle nibbles, with the pattern of breathing and _sucking_ he feels in his lover.

His mouth goes open, another moan trembling out before he’s _released_ , Cloud falling to impale himself deeply on Zack’s shaft with a helpless _cry_.

\----------

He pulls his mouth away to _moan_ when those hips move against him, hands gripping the floor to keep himself from scratching Cloud anymore than he already has. His body _arches_ , desperate whimpers and moans dancing along his tongue as Cloud impales himself. 

He’s already close again, muscles twitching and shaking as the heat boils just under his skin. He drops his head against the floor to _gasp_ for his mate. For _more_ , cries piercing his sensitive ears yet not loud _enough_. 

He’s already about to cum _again_.

“ _Cloud!”_ he cries, giving up the scratches on the floor for grabbing those hips again, just _holding_

him as his hips slam up, desperate to get Cloud as close as he is. “ _Cum_ for me, Cloud…!”

\--------

Cloud takes hold of Zack’s wrists, lifting and _pinning_ them over his head. He rides Zack, _hard_ , shifting his hips up and down and squeezing against that sex. Stuttered whimpers escape his mouth, and his free hand he lefts to _softly_ stroke against a soft, velvety ear…

He’s dreamed of this.

He’s dreamed of having Zack inside him. From the moment they saved him, he found Zack handsome...beautiful. His spirit was gentle, and he responded so well to being held, to being treated…

He feels the coiled spring in his lower stomach get tighter and tighter, whimpering into one of those soft ears as he gets closer…

“Come on,” he whispers, “...deeper. Harder. You’re not gonna hurt me.”

He’s practiced this far too much for it to _hurt_. 

\---------

He _whines_ when his hands are pinned, but his hips don’t stop. He catches onto the way Cloud rides him, hard and _fast_ , and he’s quick to match it, whimpering moans as he’s closer and closer and _closer_ \--

His mind is _blank_ \-- Just a canvas of white noise. His eyes are locked onto Cloud’s

face, at the way his mouth contorts with moans and his eyes darken and his throat

moves with his pulse… And he can _smell_ him, all around him, and it makes him 

want him _more_ , breathing hard in _pants_ when that soft ear is spoken to.

And that little order is all it takes.

He braces his feet against the floor, knees raising to give something for Cloud to lean back against. And with his arms already on the floor, he _arches_ his body, hips slamming up enough to briefly lift Cloud’s knees off the floor. He only manages to do it once, but he gets _rougher_ , almost _snarling_ noises of pleasure as he fights to keep his eyes open, cock twitching inside of Cloud and so _close_.

He can’t even _speak_ , breathing heavily through his mouth as he continues

to fuck Cloud above him, wanting to flip their positions but not wanting to

_hurt_ or intimidate…

\---------

Cloud _screams_. 

Not from pain, but _pleasure_ , from his angle below, Zack is hitting him in just the right way. He screams, battered with wave after wave of pleasure, choking on half sobs with how good it is. He’ll be sore tomorrow, no doubt, he’ll probably be walking with a limp, but for now he doesn’t _care---_

Hands lift from Zack’s wrists to plant against his chest, to brace himself as he’s _fucked_. Were Cloud the one to the ground, the word _mounted_ might come to mind, the power and strength of those muscles apparent as he’s lifted easily with each snap of those powerful hips. 

His screaming gets louder, a counterpoint to the snarls and growls beneath him. He’s starting to get close, eyebrows lifting…

And all at once, _heat_.

He’s coming. 

There’s a sharp cry of Zack’s name, and he lifts Zack’s hands to his chest as he arches, eyes gazing unseeingly above them.

And then he goes limp to that chest.

\------------

He feels Cloud begin to tighten around him, those screams getting higher in pitch as he fucks _hard_ into that spot he's found. He wants it to feel good, wants Cloud to know that he _loves_ him. That he wants him…

And then Cloud _cums_ and Zack watches in fascination as he does, slowing his hips to gently coax him through it as his hands palm at those pale hips.

He manages to hold out long enough to watch Cloud's full orgasm before he's _crippled_ by his own, writhing on the floor and crying Cloud's name as he cums inside, gasping. He loses sight for a moment too long before he realizes his eyes are closed… And when he opens them, Cloud is limp on his chest.

Those strong arms come up to gently cradle the smaller, rolling his hips until he slides out, groaning at the loss of heat.

He's slaked.

“Cloud…?”

\-------

Cloud whimpers at the loss of heat, when Zack slides out of him.

But he lays there, quietly, listening to that heartbeat, nearly unaware of anything else but _that_. His breathing starts to calm, but it does take him a few minutes before he’s _cognizant_ again. 

Cloud rubs his forehead, gazing down at Zack. And then he lifts his head, glancing down...a smile taking his face when he sees that Zack’s sex is as limp as his own.

He scoots forward, pressing soft, lingering kisses against Zack’s chest. Soft, aftercare kisses in contrast to the nearly violent lovemaking just seconds ago.

“...are you feeling better?” he asks, stroking that chest. “...you look calmer now…”

He takes a hold of Zack’s chin to plant a kiss on those lips.

“...come on. We should...probably get cleaned up before Tifa comes home.”

He sits up, stretching his back, grabbing an arm full of clothes.

“...let’s shower. Just...to get the mess off.”

Quietly, the blond heads up the stairs, bare. Within a few minutes, the sound of the shower echoes down the stairs.

\------------

He gently rubs that back until Cloud wakes, humming softly to the kisses pressed to his chest. He nods a bit _weakly_ at the question, though his energy seems to restore when those lips meet his.

He still feels feverish, but not _fiery_. He is no longer in agony, relieved and yet… The wolfish side of him still stirs below the surface.

“Are you… okay?”

But he must be, for he stands easily and heads upstairs. Zack stands, taking a long moment just to collect himself…

He looks out the window to the moon, gleaming behind smog and clouds.

He barks childishly at it before he follows upstairs to the bathroom, hesitating before he simply knocks, unsure if Cloud would like his privacy or not…

“...Can I join?”

\-------

The door opens to the knock, not having been shut. Cloud’s not even in the shower yet, tossing two towels over the glass door so they both can curl up after…

Blue eyes soften at the sight of Zack, taking him gently by the wrist and drawing him in, shutting the door.

“Come on,” he whispers, his voice still with an edge of dominance and the depth of love and softness, “...really quick. Hot. it’ll feel nice.”

He steps into the shower, lit so Zack can fully _see_ him now. And he peers out from behind the door, blue eyes soft and inviting.

“I’ll be sore tomorrow. Probably be limping,” he says, with a soft smile, “...but you’re probably pretty sore already, being chained up like that…”

He reaches for Zack’s neck, looping an arm around the back of his neck to draw him in.

“...you always look like hell, when I come back,” he whispers, putting Zack’s back in the spray of the shower. “...so haunted and miserable...look like you lose weight during the full moon too…”

He pats that stomach softly.

\--------

He's _shy_ as he follows Cloud into the bathroom, though his tail gives a small twitch of a wag when he hears the love in that voice. And he's so _warm_ , open and honest as he invites Zack to shower… And he follows, as if entranced by a siren's song.

He looks a little sheepish when Cloud mentions being sore, gently reaching to smooth a hand through that hair, laughing softly when the water does so little to tame it…

But the humor dies on his lips when Cloud mentions how _hellish_ he looks. His eyes drop, tail drooping, as he realizes all of the worry he must have caused.

He doesn't think of death, but of running away, now…

But his tense muscles melt under the hot spray of water, a soft sigh from his lungs in the shape of “sorry”.

But his stomach _roars_ when Cloud pats at it, showing its displeasure with being _starved_ …

“...I'll be alright…”

\-------

Cloud laughs a bit, feeling that big hand in his hair. He gives Zack a soft grin...until he watches that face fall. 

“Hey…” he whispers, leaning in close, reaching around to softly stroke that tortured tail… “...I’ll take care of you. I promise…”

He takes the soap, gently lathering Zack’s belly and thighs liberally. His arm scoops around that back, pressing his hand up against that spine…

“...I’ll find you something to eat before we sleep,” he whispers softly, “...something to drink too.”

Soft blue eyes lift to Zack’s face.

“...may I...see your tail?”

\--------

He sighs under that touch, still sensitive to the hands of his mate. He moves closer, nuzzling into that hair as hands lightly trace his arms and shoulders.

He looks a bit _shy_ when Cloud asks to see his tail, and he hesitates for a moment before he turns, allowing him to look.

Were it properly cared for, his tail would be long and bushy, sleek black fur shining in the light. But as it is, it's patchy in areas from fur that's been ripped out in anxiety and agony. Where fur exists, it's dull and matted, ill cared for. He normally tries to hide it, and even now, it threatens to take shelter by curling between his legs in shame…

“It's not… pretty,” he whispers, hands clasped into fists at his sides as he dares to look over his shoulder to Cloud…

His tail is what truly makes him a monster, isn't it?

\--------

Cloud reaches for it, sliding a hand up Zack’s thigh to slip between it and his leg, lifting gently. Fingers trace the line of fur beneath, petting down the length of it softly…

He starts to fingercomb at the knots, reaching behind Zack to take some conditioner to help the process. With it, he’s able to get out a lot of the kinks, smoothing his fingers down the length in a way no one ever has before. 

He reaches to softly touch a clenched fist, trying to soothe it.

“....no,” he whispers, “...but it could be. Do you pick at it, when you’re upset?”

Another stroke, from base to tip, careful not to upset the scabs.

“...the fur that’s still here is soft,” he comments softly, “...I like it.”

He pets the skin around Zack’s hip, above the swell of his rear...the soft down-like fur just at the very base, where the tail departs from his spine. 

\---------

He relaxes when that touch is nothing but gentle, working through the mats with sweet smelling conditioner. It's never been a part of him treated with kindness. 

When he asks about the torn hairs, he gives a small nod. “Yeah, it… Bothers me,” he whispers, though the tip twitches in a wag when it's stroked and commented on.

He moans softly as he's pet, fists releasing as he turns around to face his mate fully, resting his head submissively against that shoulder.

“...You're not scared of me?”

\---------

Cloud makes a soft noise, when that head comes to lay against his shoulder. His lips curve into a faint, sad little smile, running a hand up and down that back…

“...not scared of you,” he answers, kissing the mark he made on that neck, “...you won’t hurt me. Besides...I didn’t have trouble putting you in your place.”

Zack was easy enough to put down, even in his strength, even after snapping his chains. He had no trouble getting the larger on his back, and Zack’s _submissiveness_ is enough to make Cloud trust him implicitly.

He lifts a hand to that face, to gently thumb back those lips to look at those sharp teeth. He smiles faintly, brushing the pad of his thumb across the sharp, white canine…

“No doubt you could do damage. But you seem tame enough now.”

He slides his hands down that broad chest, closing his eyes before resting his head to that chest, trusting. 

“...I like you Zack...I’ve liked you since I first held you in my arms.”

\------

He makes a small noise when Cloud mentions how easily he had turned submissive. It just seemed right, to trust Cloud to whatever he wishes of him… And he trusts Cloud to keep him in line, to keep him from hurting or destroying…

He snorts a little with discomfort when his lips are pushed back, but he allows Cloud to inspect his teeth. He worries that he'll bite him, just like anything else that gets too close to his mouth, but he just finds himself licking that thumb submissively.

He could never hurt his mate…

He sighs happily as he's touched, as Cloud's head rests against his chest.

“I'd never hurt you,” he whispers, though his heart _grows_ at that soft confession…

“Ever since I saw you,” he whispers in return, those hands gently stroking at Cloud's sides.

But…

He pulls back a little, looking… _guilty_.

“Y-you know that scar Tifa has on her arm? The one she said she got from a stray…?”

He looks away, looking down at his fidgeting hands.

        “I… I bit her…”

\-------

Blue eyes lift, peering gently into Zack's as he rinses himself, lathering quickly as his curiosity grows…

Tifa had been rather sensitive over that mark, trying to hide it. Now he understands, knowing it was to try to spare Zack the shame…

“...did she hurt you?” he asks, his voice gentle, “...was it while you were bound?”

Zack had been like a cornered dog, when he saw him, growling and snarling.

“....I’m kinda surprised you didn't catch me like that…”

He turns off the water, taking hold of Zack's wrist as he wraps a towel around him and then himself.

“....she keeps it hidden...she tries to keep a lot hidden from me…”

Cloud leans against Zack's chest.

“...she and you both look so awful.”

Lips pull into a soft smile.

“....guess I gotta take care of you both.”

\----------

He doesn't wash himself, relieved enough just for the water. When Cloud asks if Tifa _hurt_ him, he violently shakes his head.

“No, she didn't hurt me… I… I was already turning when she was trying to bind me. We were… late.”

He looks away in shame when Cloud mentions how much has been hidden from him, those clawed hands holding the towel around his head and shoulders as if he's _hiding._

“I… could never hurt you,” he whispers again, searching those blue eyes for _anger_ at what he had done to Tifa. “You… You're my mate.” The last word is mumbled, as if embarrassed. It's… forward of him to say, but to him… The term _mate_ holds the same weight as _husband_.

“...I've caused her a lot of pain… She didn't deserve any of it.”

But he smiles softly when those lips turn up, letting his towel rest on his head as he pulls Cloud to a hug, wrapping arms around those shoulders.

“I was just… so scared you'd be disgusted with me…”

\--------

Cloud leans in as he’s pulled, pushing back the towel to softly dry those soft ears with his own towel.

“....mate?” he asks softly, “...am I the only one you can't bite then?”

He makes a small noise, hand lifting to his neck, to the bruise that still burns so _warmly_. 

“...apart from this one, I guess..” he says with a little noise.

He presses his head beneath that chin with a soft breath. Golden lashes slip shut.

“....no,” he says after a beat. “...not disgusted...not with you.”

He sheds his own towel to reach around to gently squeeze out the water in Zack's tail. His hands move gently, aware that it must be sore…

“....lets get to bed.”

Quietly, Cloud leads Zack to his own bedroom, turning down the sheets. 

“...or do you want to come with me while I find you something to eat…?”

\-----------

“...Not unless you want me to,” he whispers, dipping his head to press a kiss to that bruise, nibbling briefly before pulling back when he tastes a little bit of blood… 

His body shakes after Cloud wipes him down, droplets scattering to fly against the wall and mirror, hair lying freshly tangled when he finishes.

He follows Cloud to the bedroom, quietly surprised that he's being invited to lay with him… the bed smells of Cloud and looks so _soft_. He could probably just lay down and fall back to sleep...

But his stomach gurgles and makes his decision for him.

“...just something small,” he amends to his stomach's demand, shuffling closer to Cloud to gently run his hands affectionately on that back, pressing himself close as if any separation might kill him.

“And… water…”

It's clear though that he's _exhausted._ He hasn't really slept properly in the past week… He eyes the bed again.

\-------

Cloud takes a hold of that wrist, gently leading Zack down to the kitchen. 

He finds some dried meat, something he likes to have on him for trips. He hands Zack the whole bag, heading to the faucet for a glass of cold water.

Blue eyes watch Zack, watching how hungry the larger is.

“...here,” he offers the water, committing it to Zack's hand.

And while Zack eats, Cloud touches along Zack's spine, stroking that tail after it's been shaken dry.

“....your ears are cute too,” he says with a small grin.

\----------

He follows him down to the kitchen, taking the bag and nibbling on the jerky as he watches Cloud fetch a glass.

But his hunger is _ravenous_ when he's turned, and by the time Cloud hands him the glass, the bag is nearly empty.

He _chugs_ the glass as well, working it down his parched throat and gasping a thanks when he's finished.

But he blushes at the compliment to his ears as they twitch, a shy smile on his face.

Cloud isn't disgusted with him. He thinks he's _cute._

“...Thanks.”

\--------

Cloud gets him another glass, another bag, returning behind Zack to softly stroke at his lower back. His interest in that tail turns nearly _obsessive_ , still stroking at the soft downy fuzz just above the length of longer fur…

But his fingers travel around those hips, petting at the still heated skin, warming at his fingertips. Soft blue eyes gaze up that strong back, and one hand travels up slowly, petting at the lines of muscles there…

“...make you somethin’ big for breakfast,” he whispers, bowing to kiss midback gently. Fingers pet lovingly between those shoulder blades, the idle, soft sort of exploration that new lovers do.

He slips around, reaching up to soft a soft velvet ear between his fingers. Carefully, he scratches just behind, wondering if these soft touches still soothe whatever agony might be burning under his skin.

“...feel better?” comes that soft voice, “...you certainly look better.”

\---------

His muscles shift in pleasure as Cloud explores. His tail begins to wag again, hitting against Cloud's hip as he nibbles a bit more jerky and sips at his water.

“Mm… I'm usually not hungry the morning after,” he says softly, setting the bag and glass of water aside to turn and nuzzle against his mate, those eyes fluttering shut in exhaustion.

“I… do feel better… Thank you…”

He presses a kiss to that damp blond hair, nuzzling into it just to rub in his scent.

“I think… I actually might be able to sleep…”

\-----

Cloud gives a soft laugh, a smile when that tail _waps_ against his hip, giving it a soft touch.

And he wraps his arms up around those shoulders, closing his eyes when Zack presses in close, the touches doing so much to soothe Cloud’s nerves...bringing him peace. His hands quietly travel up and down Zack’s powerful torso, another hooking up around that head to pull his head down, fingers brushing against velvet ears…

“Come here. Come on...let’s see if you can sleep.”

He climbs the stairs, carefully looking back to make sure Zack is following…

He slips into the bed and gazes up, running his hands along Zack’s wrists…

“...Would it be better if you were bound…?” he asks softly, stroking those wrists. “...would you feel safer…?”

Soft blue eyes gaze up at Zack lovingly.

\-------

He smiles, tail still wagging as he follows his mate upstairs, hand holding his and then fingers simple touching his back to remind him that he's still following.

He watches Cloud get into bed, standing at his side as those blue eyes search him. He shakes his head at the request, feeling… Calm. He's still uncomfortably warm, muscles occasionally twitching under his cleaned skin, but he doesn't feel… _dangerous._

He looks to the door though, chewing his lip. “...If I do anything, just… take me to the basement…”

But that bed looks far too inviting, and he paces around it for a moment before he climbs under the sheets, curling up against Cloud with an almost _purr_.

He's lying for a few moments, on the verge of sleep, before he sits up suddenly, ears perked as he hears the front door open and shut.

And below them, Tifa drops the small bag of tranquilizers to the floor when she sees the wide open basement door and clawed scratches on the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

Cloud is already gone, when Zack sits up, half lifting his head with a soft groan, sitting up and pressing his head to that chest.

“...what is it…?” he asks softly, lifting a hand to rub his eyes exhaustedly. An arm wraps around Zack’s hips, thinking something is upsetting him, that he’s _scared_. “...hey...come on. It’s alright…”

But then he hears it too, standing up to pull on a pair of pants quickly.

\--------

Tifa is immediately sprinting down the stairs, frozen for a moment in _terror_ when she finds those chains and strapped lying discarded, as if they had been made of wet paper…

Tears blur her vision as she races back up, those marks on the floor making her blood cold.

“Zack!” She calls, desperate, beginning to look for signs that he escaped the house completely.

And upstairs, Zack _whimpers_ , sinking down and curling under the sheets to hide.

\--------

Cloud is quick to his feet, to run down the stairs when he hears the sheer _desperation_ in Tifa’s tone. He’s moving fast enough and _quick_ enough to forgo carefulness, rushing down before panic takes over his friends.

(He doesn’t realize his neck is bleeding.)

“Tifa!” he calls sharply, trying to stop her from _panic_. “Tifa. It’s alright…”

\---------

She knows she's late. The moon rose hours ago, when she had nearly stomped the pedal of the truck clear through the floor. It had taken so _long_ to get what she needed, and now it's all for naught…

Is he hurt? Is he hurting someone else?

Her breath catches around a sob when she sees Cloud, rushing over to him.

“C-Cloud-!”

He's not supposed to be home. He's supposed to be out on a delivery until morning…

But her emotions surge again when she sees _blood_ on his neck.

“Oh gods, Cloud, what happened?!” she chokes, a shaking hand raising to hover over that wound.

Did Zack attack him? Did Cloud… fight him?

“Are you okay?”

\---------

He lifts his hand when her eyes dart to his neck, a shaky laugh on his lips when he sees blood on his fingers…

“Ahh...ah, Tifa, please--it’s fine…”

He takes her hands in his, looking into those eyes.

“Listen...listen, it’s fine...everything's alright…”

He carefully reaches for her, trying to to calm her down.

“...please...just relax. Just relax…”

\--------

She's still shaking as Cloud insists that it's alright, as those hands fold over hers. But she's already imagined the worst of situations, and her voice shakes.

“H-have you seen Zack?” she manages to get out. Maybe the bleeding bite is just… From something else. Unrelated.

But she still looks around, frantic.

The doors are locked, the windows aren't broken… The only sign that Zack has been up here are the scratches on the hardwood and the open door…

“Where is he…?”

\--------

Cloud nods, fingers brushing against those arms, trying to soothe her, to calm her down.

“Upstairs,” he whispers softly, carefully angling his head. He pulls back from her, dabbing at his neck gingerly.

_Still feels nice._

“Zack…” he calls softly, laughing half nervously, but with soft delight to see the lump of sheets and covers. Fearlessly he draws his hands over the form, reaching forward to _gently_ pull back the front, folding it so he can see that shock of black hair, to take that face in his hands.

“...why are you hiding…?”

Fingers gently stroke those soft velvet ears, trying to soothe…

\------

Upstairs?

She blinks, eyes wide, yet still follows Cloud up the stairs. She lingers in the doorway of the room, squinting through the darkness to see a dull green glowing under thin sheets. She would turn on the light to see, but she knows how sensitive his senses are like this…

Zack peers out shyly when Cloud draws him out, whimpering softly. He knows Tifa is there, can smell her, yet he still tries to wiggle back to hiding…

“...I worried her…”

He feels _guilty._

But Tifa is frozen at the way Cloud touches him, at the lack of collar or any restraint…

“...What's going on?” She whispers, tears pooling anew. Did Cloud… Find some kind of tranquilizer?

\-------

Cloud pulls very _gently_ at those ears when he feels Zack wiggle back, a soft correction to stay _still_.

“...that’s no reason to hide,” he chides gently, “...she’s worried about you. Come on…”

But he looks a little...stunned...to see tears pooling in those red eyes, to hear Tifa’s voice still tight with emotion. He steps away from Zack, making his way over to her…

“Ah…”

How to even explain. She’s chained him in place for months, and now she leaves and returns and Zack is bedded down like a tamed dog rather than the snarling beast in the basement?

He swallows, scratching the back of his neck.

“...I...let him take me,” he finally says, voice flustered and nervous. “...An’...I think it...calmed him down.”

He lifts a hand to his neck, the bleeding finally stopped.

“...I’m okay though!” he amends quickly, searching Tifa’s gaze for disgust, for worry, for _outrage_. “...and...and I think he’ll be able to rest, now…”

\---------

He whines, but obeys the gentle correction, lifting his head to gaze over at Tifa as Cloud hurries over to her. At his confession, he blushes, nervously picking at the fur of his tail.

Tifa chokes out a noise when she realizes what that means, where that mark on his neck had come from… and why Zack looks so _shy_ …

And then those tears spill free, a hand covering a sob as she feels immense _relief._

Cloud had helped. He had eased that agony, had tamed Zack to something _submissive._ And they're both… _okay._

And then she throws her arms around Cloud to viciously hug him, sobbing her thanks.

\-------

The hug takes him so offguard, the _sobs_ in her throat…

He pulls her to rest against the bed, inviting her to lay nearby without unwrapping her from his arms.

“Tifa…” he whispers, his voice thick, “...what happened? Why didn’t any of you tell me…?”

And, into her ear -

“...why did you go this alone? I would have helped...I would have done anything to help you…”

He rubs her back, kissing into her temple to soothe.

\-------

She allows herself to be led, but when she's against that bed, she pulls away slightly, to look over at Zack…

And he gives a small, submissive whimper as he moves to nuzzle her back, where Cloud's hands soothe.

She takes a breath, gingerly reaching to wipe some blood from his neck. “Zack… Didn't want you to know,” she says quietly. “And I didn't want the kids to be scared. I thought of it was just me… It would be easier…”

But she shakes her head at that whisper. “I… wanted to protect you both…”

Though… There wasn't much need for that, now.

She sniffs, sitting up to look at Zack, where he's pulled the blankets around himself for modesty. He smiles sheepishly, ears lowering…

“...I… I'm sorry I worried you, Tifa…”

\-------

Cloud finally lets go of Tifa, to lift Zack’s hand, to kiss the knuckles of those clawed fingers. He twines his own gently with Zack’s…

“...why don’t we sleep here tonight…?” he asks softly, gazing at Tifa, “...it must help us all…”

His free hand he lifts to brush the hair from her eyes, seeing how _exhausted_ she looks. She must not have slept last night either…

“...you guys need sleep. Regardless.”

He reaches over to softly stroke a velvety ear.

\---------

When Cloud mentions much needed sleep, she sighs softly, running a hand down her damp face. “Yeah… Let me get changed…”

Tifa slides out of the bed silently, returning to her room to wash her face and change into pajamas, returning to sleep at the edge with Cloud between her and Zack.

Zack doesn't blame her.

Instead, he curls up close to Cloud, that nose nuzzling into his ribs as he tucks himself under that arm. He closes his eyes, and his exhaustion takes him immediately.

Quietly, Tifa speaks when his breathing evens out.

“...How did you find out?”

\-------

Cloud carefully pulls Zack’s arm around his body, encouraging him to tuck in, to match Cloud’s shape and hold on for warmth. Fingers stroke against those knuckles, taking in deep breaths as he starts to settle in….

He reaches to touch Tifa’s cheek, when she settles, offering her one arm as the other keeps locked gently around Zack’s shoulder, stroking his ear….

“...the second delivery ended up being in the same town, the guy was there and...I got home early. And no one was here….’cept I heard some noises in the basement…”

His fingers thread through Tifa’s hair, still trying to ease her fears.

“...he was...really scared…”

\---------

Zack is heavy in his sleep, as he has deserved, yet Tifa cannot find her own rest…

She raises a hand, tangling. Trembling fingers with Cloud's when he offers.

“...I was late,” she whispers, voice breaking. “I… had to find tranquilizers, but they were in Kalm, and…” She trails off with a sharp sigh, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment to push her tears away.

When she opens them, there is guilt there.

“I'm so sorry… I should have told you. But… Zack was just so _scared._ He thought you would hate him. That… you wanted nothing to do with him.”

But Zack had been wrong. Thank the gods he had been _wrong_.

“I'm so sorry…”

But now… Perhaps she won't lose Zack. This is what he needed, what he _wanted_ , and now he has that… and it's enough to make her weep with raw relief.

“...this whole time, you could have saved him… But I didn't tell you.”

\----------

He reaches to pull her closer, fingers brushing against her cheeks as he turns to better see her.

“...you’ve had this whole thing on your shoulders...both of you so scared for so long…”

His brows knit.

“...he...he was terrified of me...I could see that. He kept looking at me...looking for...disgust, i guess.”

He reaches to pull her against his chest, stroking the back of her neck.

“...it’s okay now...none of you could have known. And Zack must’ve been pretty insistent about not telling me…”

He kisses the top of her head.

“...but I gotcha both now. I’ll take care of you.”

He rolls slightly, to pull Zack’s head to his chest, fingers softly stroking those soft ears.

And he laughs, a little faint chuckle.

“Not disgusted at all. He’s pretty cute. How could anyone hate these ears...”

\---------

She sighs as she’s pulled closer, reaching to gently hold his arm, stroking it affectionately. To think that Zack had been terrified of his own feelings for so long, and all of the misunderstandings he had jumped through hoops to avoid…

            “I’m glad,” she breathes, relief still buzzing like a high in her veins, though her eyes have dried.

She ducks under his chin when she feels his lips press to her hair, watching as he pulls such a calm Zack onto his chest, where he curls with a little twitch of his admired ears. Tifa laughs softly, reaching to pass her own fingers over the velvet fur.

            “I still can’t believe how calm he is,” she whispers, not wanting to wake the heavily sleeping wolf. “He… he’s never this calm. He won’t sleep for days before the moon, and during…” She shakes her head, tears reforming when she remembers the way he begged her for death, for mercy…

                        She knows it’s likely not her story to tell, but Cloud needs to understand the volume of what

                        he’s done for Zack…

“He… This morning, and last night… he asked me to kill him, because he couldn’t take it anymore…”

\-------------

Cloud’s eyes shut, feeling the familiar strong pull of sleep. Between the nearly violent lovemaking and his trip, he’s more than ready just to burrow in and rest…

His fingers lightly stroke along Zack’s ears, smiling as his fingers brush against Tifa’s. It feels right, the rift between him and them finally closed, an answer for all those months wondering why Zack wanted to be alone with her, to speak with her, to be near her, and why Tifa had seemed so edgy around him…

“...yeah. It’s nice...He certainly was riled up…..”

He trails off. Blue eyes open, filling with _horror_.

Cloud sits up, not moving Zack’s head from his chest, holding it almost _protectively._

“H-he...he wanted to die?” he whispers, his voice taut with fear. His hand cups that neck, tears welling in his gaze.

“...he said I was his mate...he said...he wanted _me_...he’d…”

Cloud shakes his head, lowering his mouth to bury into those soft dark locks.

“...he...he was suffering because...of me?”

The realization is _painful_.

\----------

Her own eyes begin to swim at the idea of Zack wishing for death, though now… He’s completely at peace, curled with that head cradled in Cloud’s arms. Tifa stays lying down, rubbing her wrist at her eyes.

            She doesn’t want Cloud to blame himself.

                                    “He… didn’t want to keep stressing me, and… the pain…”

She sniffs, forcing her emotion back down. She, too, is _exhausted_ , body fighting her to just rest, but she’s been so high-strung these past few days that she doesn’t trust the peace.

            “It wasn’t your fault… He… He’s been through a lot. I can’t blame him…”

She lifts her head, just to reach for Cloud’s shoulder to guide him back to bed.

                        “...But you _helped_ … And I… _thank you_. I didn’t know what else to do for him…

                        He only ever wanted you. He… He needs you.” She smiles softly, sadly, and rests

                        her head back to her pillow.

“...You need to sleep too, Cloud. I’ll make breakfast in the morning for us...”

\----------

Cloud slowly lays back, stroking an ear again with a soft sound. His eyes are still glossy, and he’s careful not to shift Zack around too much…

He gazes into those red eyes, stroking back her hair softly.

“...jus’...want us to be a family again,” he whispers, brushing his fingers along her cheek, “...where we _all_ take care of each other. I...I’ve missed that.”

Cloud’s felt lonely.

“...I thought he was scared of me. And I thought he trusted you, so I...I wanted to give you two space…”

\-----------

“We are a family,” she insists, reaching to squeeze at his hand. “We always have been. We’ve just been… a little disjointed.”

            She presses a soft, soothing kiss to those knuckles.

“It’s alright… I can’t imagine what it must have looked like to you, and I’m sorry… But that’s over now. We’ll be okay.” She reaches to push her hand through his hair, tucking it out of his face so it doesn’t stick between the pillow and his cheek in his sleep.

            She muffles a yawn on her teeth.

“...We can all sit down and talk tomorrow. For now, we can just… sleep.”

                        Those carmine eyes close, one hand lingering on Cloud’s arm while the other reaches

                        over to find patchy fur of a battered tail.

\----------

Cloud finds no trouble falling asleep between the two, the weight of Zack’s head just as comforting to him as Tifa’s closeness. For months he’s felt like the outsider, hanging on the sidelines and wondering what he can do...but now…

His eyes close easily, and the sleep he takes is dark.

_Cloud’s insistence that every laboratory be taken down was based in his own fear of them, being half drowned in mako, the needles in his arm, the way he was only ever referred to by number…_

_And that human experiments were still ongoing...it made him **furious**. And this laboratory, deep in Midgar’s underbelly...it had taken some time to find, some time to figure out how best to break in. But the experiments he heard about inside…_

_The walls are dark, the faint screams and sobs enough to light Cloud’s soul ablaze with panic and fury, settling into the pit of his stomach._

_Most of the experiments...they were too late. There was nothing to be done but end their suffering._

_A sealed door lays before them, information about one of the experiments on a wall beside. Cloud doesn’t bother to read it, bringing his blade down on the lock and kicking the door open…_

_The room is hot, overwhelmingly hot. There’s a cage in front of him, infernal **beeping** indicating a monitor checking vitals. The figure is human, but forced to curl in a cage, bound. _

_Even before he sees the figure has signs of heatstroke, Cloud is rushing to the cage, bringing the blade down to strike the lock, to drag the male out of this hellish room and back into normal temperature…_

_\------------_

_He doesn’t know why he’s shoved into a room, alone in his cage as he hears the keys lock. But he hears the roar of the furnace, smells the dust from the vents, and he strains against his bonds just to test them._

_He’s weak, muscles sore and worn from being **milked** … And he’s bare here, nothing more than_

_an animal to poke at. Wires are stuck to his chest to monitor him on computers against the walls,_

_one-way windows hiding the scientists observing him as the cold from the room is replaced with_

_boiling heat._

_He hasn’t eaten, hasn’t drank, in so long that he can’t even remember. It doesn’t take long for his mind to get hazy, his gaze to darken as heat stroke takes him with his already high temperature…_

_He’s panting, wheezing, when he hears the distant sounds of battle. The door before him is_

_kicked in, his cage broken open, and yet he cannot find the strength to even lift his head as_

_those wires are removed, tearing at the sensitive hairs on his chest._

_He sags when he’s unbound, breaths shallow and quick as he’s gathered up in strong arms… And the scent of whoever has him now calms him almost immediately, and those hazy, glowing eyes dare to look up at his savior…_

_His last thought before he loses consciousness is about that face, and how much he trusts_

_those arms that carry his dead weight…_

_\------------_

_Cloud drags him into the much cooler air of the basement, laying that body across his own. He immediately takes off his cape to soak in cool water, dabbing it over that face, working his fingers against the man’s neck, against his pulse. He renews the water, trying to revive him enough so he’ll be able to take in some water…_

_“Hey...hey, come on,” Cloud calls softly, trying to keep his voice low and soothing, “...come on. Don’t pass out now. Wake up…”_

_He’s got heatstroke, and Cloud is concerned they haven’t made it in time, that they’ll lose this one too._

_“Come on...wake up. Wake up now, You’re safe...I’m gonna get you out of here. Can you hear me?”_

_\-------------_

_He comes to when cold water dabs at his face, though his breathing is still shallow. His eyes open to see beautiful blues looking down at him, and his dry voice manages to croak out broken words._

_“An… angel?”_

_Surely he’s died. Or maybe dreaming in unconsciousness. His life has seen nothing but cold scientists and brutal torture disguised as science. For someone to be so gentle with him, using such a soothing voice and telling him that he’s safe…_

_His lips, ever so briefly, flicker into a smile._

_“...Yeah.”_

_Definitely an angel._

_\-------------_

_Cloud can’t help but smile, when those eyes open, cupping Zack’s cheek._

_“...pretty far from an angel,” he says with a soft, dry chuckle. “...but I guess compared to the bastards that keep you in here...yeah. I’ll take it.”_

_He hears Tifa behind him, holding the figure up so she can gently dribble water into his mouth._

_“...gonna need you to swallow that. You’re in rough shape, and we can’t move you ‘till you’re stable.”_

_His hands still refresh the water to keep the contact to the figure’s pulse cool, trying to take away the heat._

_“...but you’re not gonna stay here. I promise.”_

_\------------_

_It takes him a few times to remember how his throat works before he swallows the water offered to him. Though the woman that aids him is beautiful in her own right, his eyes keep returning to the man that holds him and dabs at him with cool cloth…_

_The small amount of water and the cool press of that damp cape do wonders for him. While his body is still worn and tired, he’s at least **stable** , and he raises a shaking hand to brush against the man’s shoulder, allowing some of that blond hair to tickle his knuckles…_

_He opens his mouth to give thanks to his saviors, but a croaking, **dead** sound comes_

_out instead. He lets it die on his lips, a smile replacing it. He allows his hand to slide_

_down, almost enamored by the feel of fabric after so long being naked and caged in_

_steel and iron… But perhaps it’s too forward for such a beautiful stranger, and he turns_

_to allow the woman to aid him in standing on trembling legs…_

_“...Zack,” is what he manages to say, his name almost unfamiliar to him. But that name is all he has left of his humanity, and so he’ll hang onto it until he is forced to forget…_

_\-----------_

_“Zack,” Cloud repeats, knowing how utterly precious being addressed and known by name really is. He reaches to press the cape to that cheek, to press it over likely burning eyes to provide gentle relief._

_And when Tifa helps him to his feet, Cloud is quick to slide an arm over his shoulder, the other wrapping around his waist._

_“C’mon Zack,” he says gently, “...let’s get you out of here, and never go back.”_

_They lay him in the back of a van, Cloud sitting beside him. He takes Zack’s arm to start an IV, taking the other hand to put on his leg, so Zack knows he can squeeze it if he’s in pain or if he needs something._

_“You’re safe now. Just hang on, alright?”_

_\-----------_

_He follows out to a van, and he does not look back._

_When he’s laid down, he’s glad that it’s the blond that sits back with him, relaxing as he feels_

_fluid restored to his body. Those fingers don’t squeeze on that leg, but hold, thumb brushing_

_absently against the grain of fabric…_

_He dozes in and out as he’s moved away, though all he remembers through the haze are those blue eyes…_

He wakes up lazily to find the bed cold beside him.

Tifa is still asleep, hair spilling over her face as she curls on her side, lips slightly parted in rest. But Cloud is gone, and Zack lifts his head to hear the gentle sound of water spraying from the shower. He rouses himself,

shuffling tiredly along the floor until he finds himself at that door.

            And he doesn’t knock, but _scratches_ , forehead resting against the wood as a small whimper leaves his throat.

\------------

He’s nearly lost in his own thoughts, eyes closing as he thinks about Zack. The hot water is helpful, washing away any lingering feelings of chill, of stickiness they missed the night before. His eyes close, no longer physically tired, but still a touch drained…

But then he hears….scratching?

Blue eyes open, and he peeks out of the glass door. And when he does that, he can hear the soft _whimper_.

“...Zack?” he asks softly, able to reach the door from the shower. Fingers clasp the knob, turning it in gentle invitation, “...come on in…”

\----------

He pokes his head in when that door opens, carefully stepping inside and quietly shutting it behind him. His ears and tail have receded somewhat as the moon sets, though his teeth and claws have returned to normal.

            He ducks into the spray with Cloud, still not saying anything as he simply nuzzles up against

            him, clearly a bit foggy with his cycle and actually _sleeping_ …

But he does give a soft sigh as he slides his arms around that waist, lips pressing a submissive kiss to Cloud’s nose before trailing to his cheek…

                        “Mm,” he greets, tail twitching as it begins to slowly wag.

\--------

The moment he steps in, Cloud shuts the glass door, closing his eyes and pressing against Zack. His hands slide up and down that chest, relaxing quietly.

“...you know…” he whispers, his voice soft, “...when we first found you...I thought we were gonna lose you.”

He lifts his head to those kisses, reaching back to feel the soft wag of that tail, to pet it gently.

“...and...for weeks after...I had nightmares where I was too late. And you either...died in my arms...or you were already too far gone to save…”

His voice is quiet, pressing soft kisses against Zack’s collarbone.

“...even now...even now, I still get dreams like that. I guess all the stress of all the others I’ve lost...and with how important you are to me…”

He shakes his head, running a hand up that chest.

\----------

He makes a small noise to the touches, holding Cloud closer as he nuzzles into blond hair untamed by moisture. He presses kisses to that scalp, slowly waking enough to know how _thankful_ he is…

            When Cloud mentions how scared he is of losing Zack, those arms around him tighten,

            guilt forcing his faintly glowing eyes to close. He wonders what would have happened

            if Cloud hadn’t found him last night. If Tifa had given him a lethal dose of tranquilizers as

            he had asked of her… Would Cloud have been sad? Would he have mourned?

                                    He knows the answer.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, those hands stroking at Cloud’s spine in an effort to soothe him. He wonders if he had one of those nightmares last night, if that’s why he had woken so silently…

            He presses a kiss blindly to Cloud’s ear, whispering gently into it.

“You’re important to me, too, and I… never wanna leave…”

\--------

Cloud’s arms tighten about that back, burying his face in that chest. Tears spring to his eyes, remembering Tifa’s words, his shoulders trembling slightly…

“...Tifa...Tifa said...it was almost too much for you,” he whispers, his voice unsteady, “...that you were in so much pain...that you…”

His arms wrap tighter, _bruising_. He’s fully accepted his status as _mate_ , squeezing tightly as though he wants to meld with Zack and never leave…

“...and...and it was my fault. I knew something was wrong, but...but I pulled away from you when you needed me…”

\---------

 _Oh_.

            He wraps his hands more surely around Cloud, briefly entertaining the idea of picking him up and holding him close. But instead, he hears those regrets admitted to his chest, and his hands rise to cup that face, to pull him up to look at him.

                        It’s true, of course, but he can’t allow Cloud to take the blame…

His thumbs brush at his face, wiping droplets from the shower.

            “I… I was scared… It’s not your fault that I didn’t… approach you…”

He takes a breath, pressing his lips again to that nose. A sign of _loyalty_.

            “But I won’t… I don’t _want_ to… to _die_ , now…”

\------

Cloud half _sobs_ when Zack says he doesn’t want to die now, his arms locking around that back, half _clawing_ at him with a whimper.

“....I’m sorry I didn’t make myself more available...I thought you were afraid of me...that I reminded you of the scientists…”

He pulls back, to gaze into those beautiful eyes, lifting a hand to stroke Zack’s jaw.

“...so I stayed away from you...even though...even though I sensed something was wrong…”

He presses himself closer.

“...even if it’s all just misunderstandings, if there’s no blame to be taken...it hurts so much, to know you were suffering for so long…”

\----------

When Cloud _claws_ at him, he gives into that temptation, lifting him easily and sitting on the ledge of the tub, settling Cloud to cradle against his chest. He nuzzles into that hair, hands rubbing at his sides and his back. He can’t stand the look on his face, the way it looks so much like the pain he’s caused Tifa…

            “I caused you so much pain,” he whimpers, squeezing at his sides. “And you still… _like me_ …”

He brushes some of that hair from those eyes he fell in love with the first time he saw them…

            “B-but all that… it’s all over now… It’s _us_ now, and we… we can work things out…”

\--------

Cloud melts easily to that chest, closing his eyes, feeling Zack hold him, nuzzle him…

“...you caused us pain only because we love you,” he breathes, “...and you can’t make either of us _stop_.”

He pulls back, to give Zack a soft, _earnest_ look.

“...we love you. _I_...love you…”

He takes Zack’s hands to kiss at his knuckles, sliding his fingers into that dark mane to pull him in for a soft kiss.

“...we’ll face it together now. And...you’ll trust me to tell me things?”

\---------

That simple confession of love _does_ something to him, and he whimpers into the soft kiss… He tries to linger there, threading one hand with Cloud’s and the other raising to cup his cheek as his tongue shyly traces the swell of that bottom lip…

            “Yeah,” he whispers, ducking his head to gently kiss at the darkened mark he had left the night

before. And he smiles against it, giving a playful little nibble.

            “...I’m happy.”

But he leans back, stroking at those slender muscled arms.

                        “...But I interrupted your shower. I should… go get clothes…”

\-------

Cloud lets out a stuttered sigh, trying to deepen the kiss, trying to encourage Zack’s bravery. He wants to reward each cautious touch, wants Zack to do it of his own will, without any fear…

And he lets out a low, willing moan when that mouth falls to his mating mark, a noise escaping his lips, a little strangled _wheeze_.

“...you didn’t interrupt,” Cloud corrects softly, “...come on, don’t you want to bathe with me? This time I’m not so afraid I’ll fall over…”

He washes his hair lazily, putting Zack’s hand on his hip to encourage closeness.

“...I’m...I’m glad we’re together again. I...felt lonely…”

\--------

He’s reluctant to let go when Cloud stands, though he follows him like a magnet. He, personally, doesn’t wash. The perfumes included in soaps tend to bother his senses during his cycles, so the water will have to do.

            But he still helps Cloud, raking his now-blunt nails against his scalp to lather at the shampoo there.

            He grabs the soap while Cloud rinses, lathering it to his hands as he spreads them over that skin,

            soon losing purpose in actually _washing_ him as those hands simply massage at the remnants of

            scratches on Cloud’s hips.

“...Did I hurt you?” he asks softly, pressing kisses to the back of his neck, chest to his back. “...I’m sorry…”

\--------

Cloud leans into the touch, arching almost like a _cat_ in pleasure. Blue eyes slip shut, and he lifts his chin to make it easier for Zack to reach…

He glances down at his hips, seeing the marks. He runs his fingers over them, feeling the lingering little stings of pain...but mostly...just remembering how Zack had grabbed him there, to try to keep him _still_ while driving in.

“...you marked me,” he says with a smile, dragging his fingers along the marks, “...I like it a bit rough anyways. Or at least...last night I really did.”

He brushes his fingers along Zack’s hand, moaning faintly at the soft kisses to the sensitive back of his neck. His head bows, both to press his back and hips closer to Zack’s, and to offer more of his neck to Zack.

“...I am sore,” he admits, though his voice is pulled with a smile, “...but...I like it. I like it a lot. Every time you catch me limping, you can just remember how good it felt.”

He turns, running a wet cloth over Zack’s chest, feeling his strong muscles.

“....I’d think about you,” he whispers, soft and confessional, “...before last night. I...I really liked you.”

His cheeks are flushed at the half implied confession.

\-----------

He hums at Cloud’s words, lightly scratching blunt nails against the marks, as if reclaiming them as _his_ …

            But when Cloud mentions _thinking_ about him, he moans softly, wrapping his arms so his palms rest on that smooth stomach.

            He kisses at his ear, whispering into it. “...I could tell. Every time… I could smell it on you and--

 _gods_ \--you… you drove me _crazy_. I’d think of you too, about what you had done in the shower

and… what you would’ve done if I… walked in…”

He huffs a small laugh, nuzzling into that neck.

                                    “...Is that why you were… _ready_ , last night?”

And those large hands move, one still caressing his stomach as the other slides back, along the

swell of Cloud’s rear. His voice is a little humored, though to think of Cloud doing that while thinking

of _him_ … It makes him a little breathless.

\--------

Cloud shivers, arching back with a soft _moan_. He lifts one of those large hands up to his chest, to feel those heated fingers against his nipples. He bites his lip, a bit in embarrassment, closing his eyes as he loses himself…

“Y-yeah,” he whispers after a moment, “...I...like feeling filled.”

He licks his lips, glancing over his shoulder to gaze into those beautiful glowing eyes.

“...dunno what I’d have done. Probably let you...take me. Against the wall.”

He lets out a little _huff_ , leaning back against Zack for support.

“...if you hadn’t been in so much pain last night…”

He turns, nibbling on the mark he made on that neck.

“...and if I had...known that it was about me…”

His lips pull into a little smirk.

“...probably would have ridden you, bound to that strut.”

\---------

He _shivers_ at the idea of taking Cloud against the wall he’s leaning against right now, arousal already stirring with warmth in his belly. As Cloud leans back into him, that hand on his rear begins to move, gently squeezing at his cheek as his other hand palms the nipple he’s been led to.

            “Yeah?” he asks, voice breathless and _husky_ with arousal…

And when he gets the image of Cloud riding him, bound and helpless to stop him, he huffs, moaning at the lingering effect on his neck…

            He groans, hips pressing forward enough to show Cloud how easily he’s been aroused.

  
“Tifa’s still asleep,” he murmurs, dropping his head to nibble an open-mouthed kiss to that damp shoulder. “...Do you wanna go to… my room?”


End file.
